Cadences [cake au] ✔

// eleven //

Chapter 11

Luke's POV

The day had started off really well. Heck, I'd almost managed to fuck him before mum turned up; that was when things started going downhill.

"Luke, there's something I need to tell you," she said as we sat on the bench outside the dorm. She took my hand in hers and grasped it tightly, squeezing it gently.

"What is it? Are you here to tell me off for not coming to your concert? Because I did turn up, just in the middle I-"

"No, Lucas. This isn't about my concert. This is about dad."

My expression froze. "Is his..."

"Yes. As we predicted, grandpa passed down his PBC to your dad. He'd being admitted to hospital later today... if you're free, please come and visit. I know you don't care about us very much but we're still your parents and we need you, okay?"

After that, she left quickly and I suddenly felt a growling pit of fire in my stomach.

I know you don't care about us very much.

It hurt to hear her say that. It wasn't that I didn't care about them... they just didn't support my dreams and that was what let me down the most. They didn't understand that classical music didn't interest me, and they didn't make an effort to back me.

Well, that wasn't entirely true.

They still let me go to university, they didn't disown me, and they let me get tattoos, piercings and listen to the music I wanted.

I dialled Calum's number at least a dozen times but he didn't pick up. I went back to the dorm but he wasn't there. I searched the radio station, I called Ashton, I sat outside his dorm for half an hour, but and the end of the day I realised that he didn't want me.

Like my parents.

I got through an entire packet of cigarettes that day, until Calum finally turned up.

Calum's POV

"Hospital?! Then why are you still here? Go visit him!" I said, pushing him away slightly so I could face his weary looking face. My eyes scanned past the numerous eyebrow, nose and lip piercings, instead focusing on the darkened blue eyes.

"W-will you come with me?" he sniffed.

"Of course, let's go – do you know which hospital he's at right now?"

"Yeah, my mum texted me the address."

"Okay. C'mon then."

I grabbed his arm and we both started running to the nearest bus stop, before realising that there were none running so we had to call a taxi. On the way, I watched him take some piercings out.

"Why are you taking them out?" I asked curiously, eyeing his fingers work on one of his eyebrow piercings.

"My parents don't like them very much," he said with a shaky breath. I nodded, turning my head to look outside the window, the car zooming through the empty night streets dimly lit by yellow-orange streetlights. Luke tucked the metal ornaments in his jean pocket and sniffed.

Fifteen anxious minutes later, we were at the hepatology reception, Luke in a frantic worried state and me standing sheepishly not knowing what to do.

"Mr Hemmings is in room 2379," the uniformed nurse notified us, pointing us in the right direction. We hurried over, Luke nibbling at his nails, his head turning every now and then to check the room numbers.